Nature raked the leaves, what was lost is found

In issue #164 we wondered:

...people have told us, "We were getting ready to rake leaves, and had the usual thick mat of them. Then there was a windstorm and overnight they were all just gone!"

We figured we'd eventually hear from people who were on the receiving end of the wind's raking fit, and we did.

 

Among the answers, this theory sounded good:

 

The last time we had an autumn where all the leaves blew away overnight, we had a huge amount of snow. I told anyone who would listen that they were all blown north to the Arctic and were converted to snow. It was maybe 6 to 8 years ago. I remember being flabbergasted that all of the leaves were gone by morning. - S.M. -

 

But then:

I know where all those leaves went - to my mom's yard! And even one leaf on her property really bothers her! I'm having problems convincing her that that is God's fertilizer. Those 90 year old ladies don't listen (or hear). It is interesting to see the wind swirl leaves down the street and then turn into her driveway, apparently just to annoy her!  - L -

 

Photo: If leaves composed themselves this way as they fell, would there be fewer gripes about "messy leaves?"